Bottle sorting apparatus



April 8, 1969 A. DUERKSEN BOTTLE somme APPARATUS Sheet ore Filed Oct. 6.1965 Arnold Duerksen Attorneys April 8, 969 A. DUERKSEN 3,437,200

BOTTLE SORTING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 6, 1965 Sheet 4? of e INVENTOR.Arnold Duerksen Attorneys April 8, 1969 A. DUERKSEN 3,437,200

BOTTLE SORTING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 6, 1965 Sheet 3 of e INVENTOR.

Arnold Duerksen ZZZ @DMQ Attorneys April 8, 1969 A. DUERKSEN 3,437,200

BOTTLE SORTING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 6, 1965 Sheet 4 of 6 lid Fig. 4

INVENTOR. Arnold 'Dberksen 27104 @iaa Attorneys I April 8, 969 A.DUERKSEN 3,437,200

BOTTLE SORTING APPARATUS Filed on. e, 1965 Sheet 5 of 6 April 1969 A.DUERKSEN 3,437,200

BOTTLE SORTING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 6, 1965 Sheet 6 of 6 /V//////W////////A Fig. 9

I I I 2. II II I I I u uv LL11 INVENTOR.

Arnold Duerksen Attorneys 7 United States Patent Office 3,437,200Patented Apr. 8, 1969 3,437,200 BOTTLE SORTKNG APPARATUS ArnoldDuerksen, Ben Lomond, Calif., assignor, by mesne assignments, to E. H.Halbach, Santa Cruz, Calif. Filed Oct. 6, 1965, Ser. No. 493,515

Int. Cl. B07c US. Cl. 209-73 24 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Anapparatus for sorting bottles of different characteristics separates thebottles into groups having the same characteristics. A conveyor bringsthe bot-tles to be sorted past a station where a designatedcharacteristic of the bottle is sensed. In accordance With thecharacteristic sensed, bottles are removed from the conveyor. Bottlesmay be segregated according to height, diameter, configuration or color.

This invention pertains to apparatus for sorting like articles from aseries of unlike articles, and more particularly, it relates to animproved machine for sorting bottles of dissimilar character.

'One may observe in a supermarket a variety of beverages contained inreuseable bottles of various shapes, sizes and colors, according to thebeverage and brand. Commonly, such bottles are returned in cases to thebottler for refilling and it frequently occurs that bottles pertainingto different brands of beverages, particularly soft drinks, may becontained in the same case.

A bottler of beverages generally finds it convenient to segregate hisbottles from those of another bottler, and also to segregate his ownbottles according to size, capacity or character of the beverage soldtherein. The bottle segregating or separating operation is usuallyperformed before the bottle washing, sterilizing or inspection operationto achieve efficiency i those latter operations.

Machines have been suggested, and some have been provided, for sortingbottles being that both the volume of bottles and the cost of labor tosort them are high. However, those machines which have been providedhave been limited in the variety of bottles they are able to handle.Further, such machines are of such an expense to the small or middlesize bottler as to substantially limit their application and many ofsuch bottlers continue to sort bottles manually.

In view of the above, it is a general object of this invention toprovide an improved apparatus for sorting articles, such as bottles andthe like, which is adapted to sort a wide variety of articles ofdifferent character.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the typedescribed having a capability for enlargement to accommodate theseparation of additional varieties of bottles or the like.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of thetype described adapted for installation in a bottling operations line tobe operated in association with the bottle conveyors therein.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a sorting apparatusfor selecting bottles or the like according to height, width or color.

Still another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of thetype described for positively selecting bottles from an advancing linethereof to transfer selected bottles for conveyance in a second line.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved sortingapparatus for articles, such as bottles and the like,-which is automaticin operation, easy to maintain, and which is adapted for eflicientselection of like articles from an array of unlike articles.

Additional objects of the invention will appear from the followingdescription in which the preferred embodiment of the invention has beenset forth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of an article sorting apparatus made inaccordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the left-hand portion of theapparatus shown in FIG. 1;

'FIG. 3 is a plan view on the scale of FIG. 2 of the right-hand portionof the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical sectional view takengenerally in the direction of the arrows along the line -44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, plan view of two of the articleengaging devices included in the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken generally in the direction ofthe arrows along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken generally in the direction ofthe arrows along the line 7-7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a horizontal sectional view taken generally in the directionof the arrows along the line 8-8 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken in the direction of thearrows along the line '99 of FIG. 2.

The present bottle sorting apparatus generally is comprised of a bottlereceiving station and a plurality of bottle separating stations arrangedalong an operations path. A continuous conveyor traverses the pathbringing bottles to the receiving station where they are arranged at apredetermined spacing for receipt by individual bottle engaging deviceswhich move the bottles individually over the conveyor to the receivingstations. Bottle sensing means are disposed at each receiving stationand are responsive to bottles of a particular characteristic. When abottle of the particular characteristic is sensed, the bottle engagingdevice removes the bottle from the operations path and moves it towardsa star-wheel arrangement which conveys the removed bottle to a secondconveyor line. In this manner bottles may be segregated according toheight, diameter, etc.

Referring now to the drawings, particularly to FIGS. 1-3, it will beseen that there is shown an apparatus, designated generally by thenumeral 10, adapted to sort articles, such as bottles and the like,which is made in accordance with and embodies the principles of thepresent invention. The sorting apparatus 10 has a general configurationof an elongated table 11 which is composed of a plurality of sections,in the present case three; these being an intermediate section 12 to theleft of which is arranged a receiving section 13, a terminal section 14being disposed to the right of the intermediate section 12, as shown inFIG. 1.

Each of the three sections 12-14 is equipped with its ownself-supporting framework which, in the case of the intermediate section12, includes the floor-engaging leg members 12a and 121: which arearranged in pairs, only one of each pair being shown. The leg members12a and 1212 are, at their upper ends, threadably mounted for purposesof vertical adjustment in a generally rectangularly shaped frame 12cwhich may be made up from angle iron or the like structural elements. Ahorizontally disposed mounting plate 12d is rigidly secured to the frameto provide a platform for mounting various drive elements for themachine 10, to be fully described hereinafter. Arranged above themounting plate 12d and co-extensive therewith is a horizontally disposedworking-surface plate 12:: which is maintained in spaced relation fromthe mounting plate 12d by a plurality of spacer columns 12 Thus, theframe structure is arranged to provide adequate space between the plates12d and 12a to afford working access to the drive elements arranged uponthe mounting plate 12d. A spaced apart pair of back plates 12g extendsupwardly from the mounting plate 12d (see FIG. 4) and are covered at thetop by a cap plate 12h.

Although the sections 13 and 14 each differ in its respective functionfrom that of the intermediate section 12, the receiving section 13 andthe terminal section 14 is each equipepd with a framework generallysimilar in construction and arrangement to that of the intermediatesection 12. Thus, the receiving section 13 is equipped with legs 13a and13b, a frame 130, a mounting plate 13d, a working-surface plate 13e,spacer columns 13], back plates 13g, and a top plate 13h. The terminalsection 14 is, like the intermediate section 12, equipped with legs 14aand 14b, a frame 140, a mounting plate 14d, a working-surface plate 14c,spacer columns 14 back plates 14g, etc.

An endless conveyor 16 is disposed adjacent to one side margin of thetable 11 and is comprised of a multiplicity of fiat plates 16ainterlinked with one another, the top run of the conveyor 16 being insliding engagement with the cap plates 12h, 13h and 1411, see FIGS. 4and 9. The upper surface of the top run of the conveyor 16 lies in ahorizontal plane and is arranged just slightly below the top surface ofthe working plate 13e, as clearly shown in FIG. 4.

The endless conveyor 16 is caused to move from left to right, as viewedin FIGS. 1-3, by power supplied to a right angle drive 17 (see FIG. 3)by the associated drive chains 18 which serve to rotate a drive sprocketassembly 19 mounted between the pair of back plates 14g on the terminalsection 14, as shown in FIG. 8. Power is transmitted to the drive 17through a drive train fully described below. The opposite or unpoweredend of the conveyor 16 is supported from a bracket 21 which encloses theidler sprocket (not shown), the bracket 21 being mounted with respect tothe receiving section 13 by conventional supporting structure well knownin the art (not shown).

From FIGS. 1-3, it is clear that the conveyor 16 extends the entirelength of the sorting apparatus 10, but along its length the conveyor 16performs and furnishes different functions in relation to the receivingsection 13, the intermediate section 12 and the terminal section 14.More particularly, the initial function performed by the conveyor 16 isto convey articles with respect to a receiving station designatedgenerally 23 arranged on the receiv ing section 13.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 2, it will be understood that in thispreferred embodiment of the invention the sorting apparatus is adaptedto sort bottles according to sizes and brands, although it is within thepur view of the invention to sort other articles with the mechanismconstructed within the principles of the present invention. In FIG. 2,it is contemplated that bottles 26 with their necks pointing upwardlywill be delivered to the left or receiving end of the conveyor 16 byauxiliary conveying apparatus (not shown) to what is called thereceiving or loading station. A spaced pair of upstanding guide rails 24are arranged on brackets 24a over the con veyor 16 to guide the incomingbottles along a predetermined path to align them on one side margin ofthe conveyor 16 adjacent to the edge of the working-surface plate 13c.

After the bottles are advanced by the conveyor 16 from the receivingstation 23 they are advanced into a bottle spacing station. A bottlespacer member 27 having a helical configuration is mounted in thestation, as shown in FIG. 2, so that it overlies the conveyor andextends longitudinally of the conveyor 16. The bottle spacer member 27is rotatably mounted in a pair of brackets 28 secured by fasteners 28ato an upstanding lug 28b [shown in FIG. 9] mounted on the inner one ofthe back plates 133. The member 27 is rotated by a drive train includinga universal joint equipped drive shaft 29 communicating with a reductiongear box 31 secured to a vertically arranged plate 33 on the receivingsection 13, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 8. Motion means, such as an electricmotor 34, connected to a reduction gear box 36 drives a main shaft 37through a sprocket wheel and chain arrangement 38. The main shaft 37 isequipped with a relatively large diameter sprocket wheel 39 and a seconddrive chain 41 which serves to drive a smaller sprocket wheel 42 mountedon a shaft of the gear box 31. The motor 34 is suitably equipped with astarting box 34a and an off-on switch 341). Operation of the motor 34through actuation of the switch 34b supplies power to rotate the bottlespacer member 27 so as to successively spread the bottles 26 furtherapart as they are advanced along the conveyor 16.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 9, to maintain the bottles 26 in theselected path adjacent to the margins of the conveyor 16 and inoperative confronting relation with the bottle spacer member 27, anabutment or guide member 43 is disposed in the spacing station andextends longitudinally of and along the margin of the conveyor 16. It isalso spaced from the recesses in the rotatable bottle spacer member 27 adistance substantially equal to a bottles diameter.

To guard against crushing of oversized bottles between the abutment orguide member 43 and the bottle spacer member 27, or the crushing of abottle which may fall over on the conveyor 16, the guide member 43 isyieldably mounted to cooperate with a motor cut-off switch 44 having anactuating pivot arm assembly 44a. More particularly, it will be seenfrom FIG. 9 that the guide member 43 is mounted for pivotal movementabout a horizontal axis established by a pin 46 mounted in a boss 47extending from a pad 48 secured to the outer one of the back plates 13gof the receiving section 13. A resilient bumper 49 mounted on the member43 engages the top plate 13h and thereby limits pivotal movement of themember 43 towards the bottle spacer member 27 Outward pivotal movementof the guide member 43 about the pin 46 is yieldably constrained by acompression spring 51 co-axially arranged about a fastener 52 whichextends through the member 43 and is threadably secured in the pad 48.Thus, outward movement of the guide member 43, due to an oversized or afallen bottle or to a bottle riding on the lands between the recesses ofthe spacer member 27, compresses the spring 51 and causes the actuatingpivot-arm 44a of the cut-off switch 44 to pivot and break the electriccircuit to the motor 34 and stops rotation of the bottle spacer member27.

From the above, it will be understood that at the receiving station 23bottles are received from an incoming conveyor means [not shown] anddeposited upon the endless conveyor 16 to be guided by the rails 24along a predetermined path adjacent the margin of the conveyor 16 andinto engagement with the bottle spacer member 27 to issue therefrom witha predetermined spacing so that each bottle 26 may be received by one ofa plurality of spaced bottle engaging devices 56. Each bottle engagingdevice 56 serves to carry one of the bottles 26 from the receivingstation 23 on the receiving section 13 towards one of the spacedseparating stations 57 arranged on the intermediate section 12 wherebottles of a particular configuration are segregated according to theirindividual physical characteristics.

It will be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3 that the bottle engaging devices 56are connected in an endless line, one portion of which travels adjacentto and along the conveyor 16 from the spacing station and through theseparating stations 57. Each of the devices 56 is secured to an endlesschain 59 [see 'FIG. 4] arranged below the working plates 12, 13d and14s, the chain 59 being driven by a sprocket wheel 64 driven by theshaft 37, as shown in FIG. 8. An idler sprocket wheel 65 is mounted on ashaft extending from a chain tensioner assembly mounted on the plate 14dof the terminal section 14. The assembly 75 serves to maintain the chain59 under proper tension.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 5-7, it will be seen that eachdevice 56 includes a stacked arrangement of generally planar memberswhich are, from bottom to top, a sliding or bottom plate '61, a spacer62 and a segment plate 63, each fixedly secured to the sliding plate 61.A rocker 64 is mounted for pivotal movement upon a pin 78 extendingthrough the segment plate 63, and a bottle engaging member 66 is mountedfor rotational movement on a shaft 67 which is received at its bottomend in the bushing 68 mounted in a nose-shaped portion 69 of thejuxtaposed sliding plate 61 and spacer 62.

The sliding plate '61 is attached to the endless carrier chain 59 by thefasteners 72 and 73, the latter extending through the segment plate 63and spacer 62 as well. A portion of the sliding plate 61 is generallytrapezoidal in plan, as considered from the line extending between thefasteners 72 and 73, and has a straight side edge 61a which, when thedevice 56 traverses the working or feed run along the machine .10,confronts a substantially straight way 71 [see FIGS. 2 and 3] whichextends from the spacing station fully across the separating stations 57and 58 and onto the terminal section 14, as shown in FIG. 3. The way 71and side edge 61a serve to maintain the device 56 in the desiredalignment as the device travels adjacent the predetermined path for thebottles.

The converging fore 61b and aft 61c and edges of the bottom plate 61permit the series of devices 56 to traverse the semi-circular returnportions at each end of the machine 10, as shown, respectively, in FIGS.2 and 3, and thus permit the devices 56 to be mounted in a closelyspaced relationship on the endless chain 59.

Referring to FIG. 4, it will be understood that as the devices '56 aremoved from the receiving station 23 to one of the separating stations 57a portion of the bottom plate 61, extending from the side edge 61a tothe point of chain attachment, slides across the working-surface plates12e and 13:: while the portion of the bottom plate 61 extending from thepoint of chain attachment to the nose portion 69 is disposed over theconveyor 16.

The bottle engaging member 66 also extends over the conveyor 16, themember 66 having an upper crescentshaped pusher member 66a and asimilarly shaped bottom pusher member 66b which together receive thebottle 26 and urges it along the path. It will be understood that thedevice 5 6 is caused to move at a slightly greater speed than theconveyor 16 so as to permit the bottle 26 to settle into the pocketdefined by the crescent-shaped members 66a and 66b.

The member 66 is arranged to rotate on the shaft 67 from a firstposition, as shown to the left in FIG. 5, for conveying bottles 26 alongan operations path, to a second position, as shown to the right in FIG.5, for removing a bottle 26 from said path at a separating station. Moreparticularly, the member 66 is maintained in the first position by atensioned return spring 74 secured to one end to a pin 72a arranged inthe bottom pusher member 66b, the other end of the spring 74 being fixedto the segment plate 63, as shown in FIG. 7. The tension in the spring74 serves to urge and maintain the bottom pusher member 6612 against anabutment or stop defined by an edge 63a of the segment plate 63, asshown in FIG. 5.

The member 66 is urged from the first to the second position by a fixedcam-follower 76 [see FIG. 6] which engages a cam surface 77 disposedalong the corner of the member 66b remote from the shaft 67, as shown inFIG. 5. More specifically, the rocker 64 is generally V- shaped inconfiguration having arms 64a and 64b and is mounted for pivotalmovement about the pin 78 arranged at the apex of the rocker 64. Thefixed cam follower 76 is mounted on the arm 64a and extends therebelowin adjacency to the cam surface 77 of the bottom pusher member 66b.

The arm 64b of the rocker 64 is equipped with a vertically shiftable,selector cam-follower 79 mounted at the end of an axially movable shaft81 which extends through a bushing 82 disposed in the arm 64b. The upperend of the shaft 81 is provided with a cylindrical pad 83 adapted tocooperate with a plunger 84 [see FIG. 4] to shift the selectorcam-follower 79 from the out-of-the-way or raised position, as shown inFIGS. 6 and 7, to the operative or lowered position, shown in FIG. 4, soas to permit the follower 79 to engage a selector-cam 86 or 86' arrangedat a separating station.

As may be seen from FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, the selector-cam 86 is mounted onthe 'way 71 and extends inwardly thereof toward the conveyor 16, the cam'86 having a cam surface 86a which projects progressively inwardly inthe direction of conveyor travel from the way 71 towards the conveyor16. When the selector-cam follower 79 is disposed in the lower position,as shown in FIG. 4, it will engage the selector cam surface 86a. As thedevice 56 is carried forwardly, the follower 79 will follow the camsurface 86a and pivot the rocker 64 about the axle 78 serving to movethe member 66 into engagement with the ejection cam surface 77 on thebottom pusher member 66b. As the selector cam-follower 79 traverses thecam surface 86a, the member 66 is pivoted from the first position, asshown in FIG. 5, to the second position shown there 1n.

It will be observed from FIGS. 4 and 7 that the sliding plate 61 isarranged to pass beneath the selector cam 86 and that the segment plate63 is arranged on the carrier 56 so as to extend above the selector cam86 as the device 56 moves past the selector cam 86.

When the device 56 has advanced along the operations path to a pointwhere the selector cam-follower 79 has traversed to the limit theselector cam surface 86a, the member 66 and the rocker 64 are returnedto the first position, as shown in FIG. 5, by the tension in the spring74. The spring 74 causes the member 66 to rotate to swing the ejectioncam surface 77 against the fixed camfollower 76 carried by the rocker64. This causes the rocker 64 to pivot about the pin 78 so as to placethe selector cam-follower 79 in a position where it would engage asubsequent selector cam 86' arranged along the operations path. However,to obviate re-engagement of the selector cam-follower 79 with asubsequent selector cam surface 8601 along the operations path once abottle 26 has been ejected from the device 56, a self-cancelling orcocking feature is included on the device 56 which serves to shift thefollower 79 upwardly to an out-of-theway position where it may pass oversuccessive selector cams along the operations path.

More specifically, the segment plate '63 is provided with a cancellingcam surface '87, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, which is arranged to inclineupwardly in the direction towards the member 66. A cancelling cam-follower 88 is mounted on the shaft 81 immediately above the selectorcam-follower 79. The cancelling cam-follower 88 has a generalconfiguration of a truncated cone and, as arranged on the shaft 81,extends horizontally over the cam surface 87 so that when the plunger 84has thrust the selector cam-follower 79 into the lower position, asshown in FIG. 4, the cancelling cam-follower 88 is disposed inengagement with the cam surface 87. Then as the rocker 64 is caused topivot from the first to the second position, as shown in FIG. 5, thecancelling cam-follower 88 rolls upwardly on the ramp-like cam surface87 reaching the top thereof and thereby raising the cam follower 79 atthe time when the follower 79 has completed its traverse of the camsurface 86a.

To maintain the cam 79 and shaft 81 in the upper position, a detent 89is arranged on the rocker 64, the detent taking the form of a wire-likeelement which extends through a horizontal slot in the bushing 82 toengage within a complementary recess within the shaft 81, as shown inFIG. 5. When the shaft 81 is forced downwardly, the arm of the detent 89is urged outwardly from the slot and conversely, as the shaft 81 israised in response to the action of the cancelling-cam, the wirelikedetent 89 snaps back into the recess to hold the shaft 81 and itsassociated cam-follower in the out-of-the-way position.

Previously mentioned was that at a separating station 57 the plunger 84could be caused to descend to engage with the pad 83 so as to push theshaft 81 and its associated cam-follower into the lowered position, andthus to cause a bottle 26 to be removed from the operations path. Theplunger 84 is arranged on the lower end of a vertically reciprocableshaft 91 which forms the core of a solenoid 92, the upper end of theshaft 91 being biased by a spring 93 secured to a C-shaped bracket 94 toreturn the shaft 91 to its raised position upon completion of thedownward stroke. The bracket 94 and the solenoid 92 are supported by avertically disposed standard 96, as shown in FIG. 4.

The solenoid 92 is energized through a relay [not shown] which isactuated in response to a sensing device responsive to the physicalcharacteristics of bottles 26 passing along the operations path. Morespecifically, the sensing device may take the form of a photo-electriccell arrangement, as shown in FIG, 4, at the first separating station 57or the form of a tickler actuated switch 97, having a tickler 97a, asshown in FIG. 3, and disposed at the second separating station 58.

Considering now the bottle size sensing device at the first separatingstation 57, reference is had to FIG. 4 wherein there is shown aphoto-electric sensing arrangement 98 which includes a light source 98aand receiver 98b arranged in a horizontal plane at an elevation from theconveyor 16 corresponding to the height of a particular size of bottle26. The light source 98a and receiving mechanism 98b are suitablymounted on a cross arm 99 adjustably secured at one end to a verticallyarranged standard 101 at the first separating station 57. Should it bedesired to separate at the station 57 bottles of a height differing fromthose separated in the previous run, the sensing means 98a and 98b maybe raised and/ or lowered on the standard 101 to detect a bottle havinga greater height than that permitted to pass through the station 57.

When a bottle 26 passing through the separating station 57 breaks thelight beam between the elements 98a and 98b, the photo cell mechanism980 [see FIG. 2] permits the relay [not shown] to convey current to thesolenoid 92 causing the plunger 84 carried by the shaft 91 to descent toengage the pad 83 to force the selector cam-follower 79 to the loweredposition for engagement with the selector cam surface 86a causing thedevice 56 to remove the bottle 26 from the operations path.

Bottles 26 may be selected according to diameter at the secondseparating station 58 from contact of a bottle with the tickler sensingswitch 97, the switch 97 being of the variety well known in the art andincluding a projecting wire-like element 97a which extends towards theoperations path for engagement with bottles having a diameter greaterthan those permitted to pass through the station 58. The switch 97cooperates with a relay [not shown] and a solenoid in the mannerpreviously described in regard to the separating station 57. Variousother sensing means responsive to bottle size, bottle color, and thelike, may be arranged at the sensing stations on the machine 10.

To convey bottles away from the conveyor 16 after they have been ejectedby the device 56, a rotatable starwheel 102 is arranged at the firstseparating station 57, a second star-wheel 103 being similarly arrangedat the second separating station 58, as may be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3respectively. Each star-wheel 102 and 103 rotates in the direction ofthe arrows shown respectively in FIGS. 2 and 3. An arcuate guide 104 isspaced from the star-wheel a distance to permit bottles 26 to be carriedin the pockets 102a of the wheel 102.

Suitable endless conveyors 131 [as seen in FIG. 4] may be arranged atthe exit point adjacent to a starwheel 102 or 103 to convey bottlesseparated at a separating station to another portion of the plant forfurther processing.

Referring to FIG. 4, it will be seen that the star-wheel 102 includes avertically arranged drive shaft 106 which extends downwardly beneath theplane of the conveyor 16 and is journaled at its lower end to the outerback plate 12g in the spaced apart pillow blocks 107 and 108. A chainsprocket 109 is suitably mounted on the shaft 106 intermediate thepillow blocks 107 and 108 so as to rotate the star-wheel 102 in responseto movement of a drive chain 112 driven from an idler sprocket 113mounted on the counter shaft 114 [see FIG. 8] which, in turn, is driventhrough a chain and sprocket arrangement 116 which is driven from theshaft 37 through a gear mounted thereon and meshing with a gear which issecured to a shaft 120 upon which there is mounted a sprocket fordriving the chain and sprocket 116.

The second star-wheel 103 at the second separating station 58 is drivenfrom the shaft 106 of the first star-wheel 102, the shaft 106 havingbelow the sprocket 109 a sprocket 111. A chain and sprocket arrangement118 is provided on the drive shaft 106' of the second star-wheel 103 andcooperates with the sprocket 111 to rotate the second star-wheel 103. Achain take-off from the shaft 106' [see FIG. 8] which includes the chain122, and sprocket 123 and shaft .124 furnished power to an idler shaft126 which, through a sprocket and chain arrangement 130, supplies powerto the right angle drive 17 which powers the endless conveyor 16.

It will be understood that the star-wheel 102 and 103 are rotated at aspeed so as to synchronize with the movement of the devices 56 throughthe separating stations so as to receive the bottles 26 as they areejected from the operations path by the member 66.

Bottles which have not been separated at the stations 57 and 58 areejected from the operations path near its terminal portion through theencounter by the devices 56 with a terminal cam 127 disposed on theterminal section 14, as shown in FIG. 3. The cam 127 is arranged abovethe working plate 1412 a distance so as to engage the selectorcam-follower when it is in the raised position. Thus, any bottlesremaining in a device 56 are ejected from the path before the series ofdevices 56 make the return run to the spacing station. When ejected onthe terminal portion 14, the bottles may be carried along on theconveyor 16 to be received by another conveyor [not shown] and taken toanother portion in the plant for further processing. A guard 128 ismounted along the outer margin of the conveyor 16 to ensure that bottlescarried therealong are maintained upon the conveyor.

It will be observed from FIGS. 2 and 3, taken in conjunction with FIG.8, that the separating stations 57 and 58 are both contained upon theintermediate section 12e. Further, in FIG. 8, it is seen that the driveof the separating stations is also so disposed mounted upon the plate12d. Where additional separating stations are desired in the machineconstructed in accordance with the invention, additional intermediatesections 12 may be supplied and the drive train arranged to accommodatesuch new sections. Thus, the machine of the instant invention isadvantageously of modular design flexibly adapted to the requirements ofsmall, intermediate or large bottle separating operations.

To summarize the operation of the article separating machine 10, theinitial step is to actuate the off-on switch 34b to set the motor 34into operation. The motor 34, through the drive train previouslydescribed, causes the endless conveyor 16 to advance from left to right,as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Simultaneously, the spacer member 27 iscaused to rotate in the direction to advance the bottles in thedirection of conveyor movement. The procession of devices 56 is alsoplaced in motion in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3.The first 102 and the second 103 star-wheels are also placed in rotationin the direction of the arrows, as shown respectively in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Let it be assumed that a supply of bottles, which include bottles ofdifferent sizes and shapes, is placed upon the left end of the conveyor,as viewed in FIG. 2, these bottles will be carried between the guiderails 24 to be conveyed into engagement with the spacer member 27. Here,the bottles will be spaced at a predetermined pitch so that when exitingfrom the spacer member 27 each bottle 26 will be properly disposed as tobe received in the member 66 of one of the devices 56.

The series of devices 56 convey the bottles at a slightly greater speedthan the conveyor 16 so that each bottle 26 is secured within the pocketdefined by the pusher elements 66a and 66b of the devices 56. By reasonof this differential in speed the bottle is urged against the pushers66a and 66b and maintained in a vertical position as it is carried alongthe operations path.

To be further assumed is that the sensing devices 97 and 98 have beeneach pre-set according to the physical characteristics of the bottlesdesired to be separated respectively at the first and second separatingstations. For example, bottles may be separated at the first separatingstation 57 according to the height while at the second separatingstation 58 bottles may be separated according to diameter.

As a bottle 26, having a height greater than the elevation of thephoto-electric sensing means 98 at the first separating station 57passes through and breaks the light beam the solenoid plunger mechanism94 descends to place the selector cam-follower 79 in the lower positionso that it may engage the selector cam 86 at the first separatingstation 57. As the selector cam-follower 79 traverses the selector camsurface 86a the member 66 pivots from the first to the second position,as shown in FIG. 5. When the member 66 is extended to the secondposition, the bottle 26 therein is so disposed as to be received by thestar-wheel 102 and within one of its bottle carrying pockets andconveyed from the operations path in the direction of the arrow, asshown at the separating station 57 in FIG. 2. From the star-wheel 102the bottle may be conveyed to another position in the plant by theconveyor means 131 shown in broken lines in FIG. 4.

Bottles which do not actuate the photo-electric cell sensing means atthe first separating station 57 pass through the first to the secondseparating station 58. Here, each bottle confronts the diameter sensingmechanism 97. Should a bottle be of a greater diameter than that forwhich the mechanism 97 is set a similar solenoid actuated plungermechanism will depress the selector cam-follower causing it to engagethe selector cam 86' and thereby to eject the bottles to the selectedsize from the operations path for engagement with the second star-wheel103 and to be carried thereby towards other conveyor means [not shown].

Bottles which have been carried by the devices 56 through both the first57 and the second 58 separating stations are ejected from the operationspath as the devices 56 pass along the terminal selector cam 127. Thesebottles remain upon the conveyor 16 while the procession of devices 56,now devoid of bottles, return to the receiving station 23. At the end ofthe conveyor 16 the bottles may be received upon auxiliary associatedconveying apparatus [not shown].

After each selector cam-follower has been caused to traverse a selectorcam surface the cancelling cam-follower 88, through engagement with thecancelling cam surface 87, serves to urge the selector cam-follower '79to the raised position. At this time, the yoke return spring 74 pullsthe bottle engaging yoke 66 into the original first position, as shownin FIG. 5.

While there has been described what is at present considered to be thepreferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood thatvarious modifications may be made therein and it is intended to cover inthe appended claims all such modifications as fall within the truespirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a botle sorting apparatus for sorting bottles of differentcharacteristics into separate groups of botles with each group ofbottles having the same characteristic, a conveyor travelling in apredetermined path and having portions thereof forming a receivingstation and a plurality of spaced separating stations, the bottles to besorted being delivered to the receiving station by the conveyor so thatthey are advanced by the conveyor along the predetermined path, meanstravelling substantially in synchronism with the conveyor and engagingthe spaced bottles as they are advanced by the conveyor, sensing meansfor sensing the desired characteristics of the bottles to be sorted andmeans operatively connected to said sensing means and to said meanstravelling substantially in synronism with the conveyor for causing saidmeans travelling substantially in synchronism with the conveyor toremove the bottles from the predetermined path in the separatingstations in accordance with the characteristics sensed.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the portion of the conveyortravelling through the receiving station and the discharge stations isdisposed in a substantially horizontal plane and wherein the bottles areresting upon the conveyor with their necks facing upwardly.

3. Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said conveyor is endless and whereinsaid means travelling substantially in synchronism with the conveyorengaging the spaced bottles includes a plurality of bottle engagingdevices and means connecting the bottle engaging devices into an endlessloop, each of the bottle engaging devices having a bottle engagingmember, the bottle engaging member being movable between a bottleretaining position and a bottle removing position, said bottle engagingmember overlying the conveyor when the bottle engaging member is in saidbottle engaging position.

4. Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein each of the bottle engaging membershas a recess, said bottle engaging devices being arranged so that thebottle engaging members engage the trailing side of the bottles as thebottles are advanced on the conveyor.

5. Apparatus as in claim 1 together with means mounted adjacent theconveyor ahead of the separating stations and after the receivingstation for arranging the bottles received in the receiving station in apredetermined space relationship.

6. Apparatus as in claim 1 together with means in each separatingstation for receiving each of the bottles removed in the separatingstation, said means for receiving the bottles in each separating stationincluding an arcuate guide member having one portion of the same adaptedto engage the bottle when it has been moved out of the predeterminedpath by the bottle engaging member, a star-wheel, and means for rotatingthe star-wheel, said star-wheel being disposed adjacent the arcuatemember and having bottle receiving recesses adapted in cooperation withthe arcuate guide member to carry the bottles away from the conveyor.

7. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said means operatively connecting thesensing means to said means travelling substantially in synchronism withthe conveyor and engaging the spaced bottles includes a cam member ineach of the separating stations, each of the bottle engaging deviceshaving a cam-follower movable between a cam engaging and anout-of-the-way position, and solenoid-operated means connected to thesensing means for moving the cam-follower from the out-of-the-wayposition to the cam engaging position adjacent a separating station whena bottle of the desired characteristics has been sensed having acharacteristic; corresponding to the characteristic of the bottles to beremoved at said separating station.

8. Apparatus as in claim 7 together with means for causing saidcam-follower to return to the out-of-the-way position after a bottle hasbeen removed from the predetermined path.

9. Apparatus as in claim 8 wherein said last named means includes anadditional cam member in each bottle engaging device, and an additionalcam-follower adapted to engage the additional cam member mounted on thebottle engaging device and means connected to the additionalcam-follower for causing said first named camfollower to return to theout-of-the-way position when the additional cam-follower engages theadditional cam member.

10. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said sensing means includes meansfor sensing the height of the bottles on the conveyor.

11. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said sensing means includes meansfor sensing the diameter of the bottles on the conveyor.

12. In a bottle sorting apparatus for sorting bottles of differentcharacteristics into separate groups of bottles with each group ofbottles having the same characteristics, a conveyor travelling in apredetermined path and having portions thereof forming a receivingstation and a plurality of spaced separating stations, said conveyor insaid receiving station and in said separating stations having a surfacetravelling in a horizontal plane whereby the bottles may be delivered tothe receiving station so that they rest upon the conveyor with theirlongitudinal axis perpendicular to said surface, means mounted adjacentthe conveyor for arranging the bottles delivered to the receivingstation so that they have a predetermined spacing on the conveyor, meansincluding a plurality of bottle engaging devices travelling at a speedjust slightly greater than the speed of movement of the conveyor, eachof said bottle engaging devices including a bottle engaging membermovable between a bottle retaining position and a bottle removingposition, sensing means for sensing the desired characteristics of thebottles to be separated, and means operatively. connected to saidsensing means and to said means including a plurality of bottle engagingdevices for causing the bottle engaging member of the bottle engagingdevice having a bottle of a predetermined characteristic therein to moveto the bottle removing position to thereby remove the bottle having thepredetermined characteristic from the predetermined path in theseparating station receiving bottles having said predeterminedcharacteristic, and means mounted in each of the separating stations forremoving the bottles which have been separated from the predeterminedpath.

13. Apparatus as in claim 12 wherein said means for arranging thearticles so that they have a predetermined spacing on the conveyorconsists of a helical member extending longitudinally of and overlyingthe conveyor and adapted to engage the bottles on one side as theyadjacent the conveyor opposite the helical screw and extendinglongitudinally of the conveyor for guiding the opposite sides of thebottles as they are advanced on the conveyor, and means for rotating thehelical member.

14. Apparatus as in claim 13 together with means mounting said guidemember and permitting restrained movement of the same, and means sensingthe movement of said guide member for stopping operation of said meansfor rotating the helical member when said guide member has been movedbeyond a predetermined position.

15. Apparatus as in claim 12 wherein each of said are advanced by theconveyor, and guide means mounted article engaging members is providedwith a recess and is advanced so that it overlies the conveyor andengages the traling side of the bottle and retains the bottle inengagement with the guide member, and wherein means is provided in eachof the separating stations for removing I2 the bottles which have beenseparated in the station, said means for removing the bottles includingan arcuate guide member having a portion thereof overlying the conveyorin relatively close proximity to the predetermined path for the bottlesand being adapted to engage bottles removed from the predetermined pathby the bottle engaging member, a star-wheel, means for rotating thestar-wheel, the star-wheel having bottle engaging recesses and beingdisposed adjacent the arcuate guide member whereby when a bottle isengaged by the arcuate guide member it is moved into a recess of thestar-wheel and is advanced away from the conveyor by the star-wheel.

16. In a bottle sorting device for use in a bottle sorting apparatus ofthe type utilized for sorting like bottles from a plurality of unlikebottles as such bottles are conveyed along a predetermined path, saidbottles sorting device comprising a base, a bottle engaging membermounted on said'base for pivotal movements from a first position forengaging and transporting a bottle along said path to a second positionfor removing said bottle from said path, said device also includingrocker means pivotally mounted on said base and engageable with saidmember to move the same from said first to said second position, acamfollower associated with said rocker means and reciprocally movablebetween operative and an out-of-the-way position to cooperate with a camarranged along said operations path when said cam-follower isreciprocated to its operative position, and cancelling means on saiddevice for returning said cam-follower to said out-of-theway positionwhen a bottle has been removed from said path.

17. A bottle sorting device as in claim 16 wherein each said deviceincludes a cancelling cam having a cancelling cam surface engageable bysaid cam-follower and inclined progressively upwardly in the directionof pivotal movement of said rocker means when the same moves said membertoward said second position.

18. The device as in claim 16 together with spring meansinter-connecting said member and said rocker means, said spring meansbeing tensioned during movement of said bottle engaging member to saidsecond position and serving to return said bottle engaging member tosaid first position upon disengagement of said camfollower from saidcam.

19. The bottle sorting device as in claim 16 in which said rocker meansincludes detent means serving to maintain said cam-follower normally insaid out-of-the-way position.

20. In apparatus for selecting like articles from a plurality of unlikearticles, a framework having portions thereon forming a receivingstation and a plurality of separating stations, spacing means forarranging articles delivered to said receiving station in apredetermined spaced apart relationship, means including a plurality ofarticle engaging devices arranged to receive such spaced articles fromsaid spacing means and to retain and convey such articles along apredetermined path from the re ceiving station successively to each ofthe separating sta tions, each article engaging device being equippedwith an article engaging member movable from a first position to engageand transport an article along said path to a second position whereinsaid member removes such articles from said path, article sensing meansat each separating station responsive only to articles of a selectivevariety moving along said path, means co-acting with said sensing meansand said article engaging device for moving said member from said firstto said second position, and article receiving means arranged at each ofsaid separating stations to receive articles of such selected varietyremoved from said path.

21. In apparatus for selecting like articles from a plurality of unlikearticles, a supporting framework forming spaced receiving and separatingstations, means including article engaging and retaining devicesarranged to engage and convey such articles severally along a pathextending from the receiving to the separating stations, sensing meansat said separating station responsive only to articles of a selectedvariety, each article engaging device including a base, and an articleengaging member mounted on said base for pivotal movements from a firstposition for engaging and transporting an article along said path to asecond position for removing said article from said path, each of saiddevices also including rocker means pivotally mounted on said base andengageably with said member to move the same from said first to saidsecond position, a cam-follower associated with said rocker means andreciprocally movable between operative and inoperative positions, a camarranged at said separating station for cooperation with saidSam-follower when the same is reciprocated to its operative position andserving to cause said rocker means to move said member from said firstto said second position, reciprocating means actuated in response tosaid sensing means to urge said cam-follower into said operativeposition, and cancelling means on each of said article engaging devicesfor returning said cam-follower to said inoperative position when sucharticle has been removed from said path.

22. Apparatus as in claim 21 wherein said cancelling means on each ofsaid article engaging devices includes a cam having a cam surfaceengageable by said cam-follower and inclined progressively upwardly inthe direc- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,766,019 6/1930Garrett 209-88 X 2,407,062 9/1946 Darrah 209- X 2,596,342 5/1952 McNutt20988 3,089,594 5/1963 Early 209-lll.7 2,606,657 8/1952 Berthelsen209-75 M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner.

RICHARD A. SCHACHER, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 20974, 75

